New to Buddhism? Where do I start?
The first step in your exploration of Tibetan Buddhism is to see if you can find an authentic teacher with whom you feel you connect. Sometimes you can make a connection by looking at a photograph, by reading a book, or listening to a tape. Usually, though, you connect to your teacher by meeting him or her in person. This doesn't mean you have to sit down with the teacher, have a heart-to-heart conversation, etc. Attend the teacher's programs, listen to the teachings, and then see how you feel. Traditionally both teacher and student "examine" one another for a while after they first meet. You can read about this process in a book called Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche if you would like to know more about the traditional style of examination and about the qualities you should seek in a teacher. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche has taught on this subject many times as well.
What are all these traditions and lineages?
The Tibetan tradition emphasizes the personal heart-to-heart connection between teacher and student. We know this from our own life experience; there are certain conversations we don't like to have over the phone, don't like to put in e-mail, don't like to write in a letter, etc. In the same way, Tibetan Buddhist study can take place in books, over the phone, in e-mail, but the real heart of the teachings comes from that non-verbal level of being in the same room at the same time as your teacher. That is why Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes lineage. "Lineage," put simply, means that the heart-to-heart connection has been passed down through the ages from teacher to teacher to teacher. "Lineage" is one way of knowing if a teacher is "authentic" or has had the training necessary to be a true vessel for the Buddha's teachings.
Is Tibetan Buddhism for me?
This is something only you can decide, of course. Tibetan Buddhism is just one of the many skillful means given to us by the historical Buddha and which are available to all of us to help us learn how to live our lives better. There are many Buddhist paths just as there are many in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and so on. His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself has encouraged people to try their own traditions first and then, if they are still interested, to try the Tibetan path. In the same spirit, we would like to encourage you to read, attend teachings, and to see which path leads you most directly to your authentic Good Heart. If you find that path, then in the Tibetan Buddhist view, you are a practitioner anyway!